Sigma rule: Microsoft Excel Add-In Loaded From Uncommon Location

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-72102d13affb, updated 2023-05-12T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Microsoft Excel Add-In Loaded From Uncommon Location
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-05-12
File
rules/windows/image_load/image_load_office_excel_xll_susp_load.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects Microsoft Excel loading an Add-In (.xll) file from an uncommon location

Log source

product
windows
category
image_load

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '\excel.exe'
    ImageLoaded|contains:
        # Note: Add or remove locations from this list based on your internal policy
        - '\Desktop\'
        - '\Downloads\'
        - '\Perflogs\'
        - '\Temp\'
        - '\Users\Public\'
        - '\Windows\Tasks\'
    ImageLoaded|endswith: '.xll'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Some tuning might be required to allow or remove certain locations used by the rule if you consider them as safe locations

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • attack.t1204.002

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_office_excel_xll_susp_load.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Microsoft Excel Add-In Loaded From Uncommon Location" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_office_excel_xll_susp_load.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Microsoft Excel Add-In Loaded From Uncommon Location",
entity page, dataset version ref-72102d13affb, updated 2023-05-12T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/af4c4609-5755-42fe-8075-4effb49f5d44 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule af4c4609-5755-42fe-8075-4effb49f5d44, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.